The Forgotten Star
by Chichirifan
Summary: This story is about a girl who becomes the Legendary Forgotten Star. She is forced into a mission with the Suzaku gang on their adventures, bringing along her own problems. Now doesn't she wish she had a pair of red magical shoes? Expect some changes. UPDATED!
1. Silence

_**Chichirifan: Okay, here's the deal. I got tired of trying to fix & write more chapters of the story "The Forgotten Star" so I decided to get rid of it all & start from the beginning...again. And I'm sorry if my writing isn't as good as it use to but I'm trying my best to get back in shape. Hopefully, I won't be so out of sync. So yes, there will be changes to it & who knows? It might be better! Only obstacle I have is a writer's block but I mostly got over it. Keyword: MOSTLY. I also decided to change the name Des to Terrabi 'cause it kept pissing me off. Sorry guys, but hey, it won't change who she is. And, like always, all the FY stuff, including its characters, do not belong to me. Anyway, let's get this party started! Wish me luck! ...No, seriously, please wish me luck. ^_^'**_

Thoughts - _'blah, blah, blah'  
_Sign language - 'blah, blah, blah'  
Paper - (blah, blah, blah)

-Chapter 1: Silence-

The weather was normal, bright and sunny with some clouds floating about, making it a pretty nice afternoon day. The city below was running its course like normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Cars driving, people walking, stores... err, being stores. But this isn't where our story begins.

The story begins as we settle on a young black-haired girl with white bangs, who is, apparently, being nursed for an injury.

"Now what did I tell you?"

"..."

"Didn't I say not to overdo it? Hmmmm?"

The look on the odd-haired girl told her that her friend didn't appreciate her berating. As she wrapped the bandages on the girl's injured wrist, she continued. "I told you not to push it for a little while after you went to the martial arts tournament yesterday, but no, you HAD to beat up some random guys on the street!" The blonde scolded before finishing up her task.

The girl, who had said nothing as of yet, flexed her wrist a bit to test if she could still use it then turned her attention back to the girl before moving her hands into many signs.

'They were yakuza.'

"But you didn't have to fight them!"

'They were drunk and tried to pick a fight with me.'

"But if you didn't fight, you wouldn't have fractured a bone!"

Silently, she huffed at this. 'What else was I gonna do? Let them beat me up for back talking, even though I didn't?!'

The blonde sighed and leaned back into her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose to stop the on-coming headache. "Still. But anyway, never mind that. What are you going to do now that you fractured your wrist?" She asked. With a shrug, the quiet female stood up from her position on the couch and walked out of the living room towards the front door, grabbing her bag from the floor next to it and hooking its ropes over her left shoulder before turning to the blonde, who had followed her. Smiling a little, she moved her hands once more. 'I'm gonna go to the library for a bit.'

"Again? Do you need help?"

'Nah, I can handle it. Thanks, though.'

"Okay, if you're sure. So I guess I'll see ya later." The girl smiled.

'Yeah. Later.'

Just as she opened the door and was about to leave, her friend spoke up again. "Don't get yourself into any more trouble, Terrabi-chan."

Not missing a beat, the girl known as "Terrabi" grinned as she waved her hand over her shoulder before taking off into the streets of Tokyo. She walked across streets and through crowds of busy people in effort to make it to her destination, eager to find a new book that would intrigue her interest. Though it's not likely for she had been doing this for the past three months straight. But she remembered hearing about a new library opening not too far from her position so maybe, just maybe, they would have some books to suit her tastes.

_'Man! I hope I don't get tricked like last time. I still can't shake off those images in my head!'_

She shuddered at the remembrance of the last book she read before pushing it far into the dark corners of her mind and continued down her path to the new library.

It didn't take long before Terrabi had finally arrived to the desired building after her visit to her friend's house. _'Wow! It's so HUGE!' _She thought with a grin before moving towards it. As she walked in the seemingly untouched library, she gave a quick sweep through of what she could see. Like any other library, it was filled to the brim with thousands of books as far as the eye can see, which were neatly stacked in rows of shelves. A grin grew on her lips as she casually walked further inside the building, practically skipping down each aisle.

Two hours had passed and still, she had not found any book of any interest as she scanned over the titles and even looked through a couple pages. _'This sucks! Why aren't there any good books nowadays? Is it too much to ask for?! Geez! How hard is it to find just ONE book?!' _She thought angrily, closing the book with a deep sigh. Just when she placed it back in its place, a thought came over her.

Why did she need a book?

Sure, she loves to read a good book. But so does everyone else. Nothing out of the usual there.

So where did this feeling, this urge come from?

When did she start this obsession?

Why?

Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't have a reason. Not one. It just... happened.

So... why is she still looking?

Frustrated and utterly confused, Terrabi stormed her way to the front to leave after nearly shoving the book in its slot, intending to come back to try some other time.

But Fate can be such a bitch.

Before she came within ten feet of the exit, she blinked when she saw something tiny and bright like a star in-between the automatic sliding doors. Confused, she moved closer, but leapt back in fright when the "star" grew to a large, red... something before it flew up in front of her. She gave a silent scream of surprise as she fell on her backside, scared out of her wits at the overwhelming sight. Her actions caught the attention of some visitors and even the librarian at the desk, but she paid no heed to them as her eyes were trained on the red thing in front of her. But just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared when sparkles of red floated to and up the stairs to her left before losing sight of it.

She continued to stare at the direction it had gone from her spot on the floor, unable to register what just happened.

_'Oooookaaaaay. Now I'm seeing things that aren't suppose to be there. I'm pretty sure that red cloud or whatever it is was just my imagination. Wait, doesn't that mean I'm going crazy? Gah!'_

Shaking her head, she got back to her feet, being careful not to aggravate her injury, and waved off a couple people who witnessed her odd behavior and asked if she was alright. Though it was fruitless as they didn't understand sign language, but managed as she took out some notebook paper and pen to write on to assure them before they went about their way. Once left alone, the girl turned to look back the stairway to which the thing had taken refuge, unsure of what to do other than walking a bit closer until she stood at the bottom of it.

_'What was that thing? Should I go up there? Or should I tell someone about it? No, no, they'll just think I'm crazy or something. ... Okay, maybe I am, but st-'  
_  
_"Come to me..."_

Jumping in fright, Terrabi whirled around so fast, nearly snapping her neck as she tried to find the source of the elegant voice, only to realize that it seemed to come from upstairs. _'What the hell was THAT?! First, a red cloud and now a mysterious voice?! I'm freaking out here!'_

Glancing up at the stairs for a moment, she turned her gaze to the tile floor beneath her feet, pondering on what her next course of actions that she should take. One side wanted to go find out what the red cloud was and where it came from, but the other part of her said she should just leave it alone. But, of course, her curiosity won over her common sense as she slowly made her way up the stairs. It only took a minute for she reached the second floor before she stared down an empty hallway. Even though there was nothing unusual, it held a certain creepiness to it.

Or it might just be that she's still rattled by the earlier events that took place not even ten minutes ago. _'I wonder what that was. It probably really was my imagination. Maybe I should talk to that therapist that Ayano told me about.'_

_"Hurry...! Come to me."  
_  
Giving a soundless squeak, her eyes darted around for the voice once more.

_'Okay! I'm hearing voices in my head! Yeah, that's it! I'm just losing my mind! Might as well sign me up and throw me to the loony bin, where I can meet all those nice little people in white coats! ... Oh, who am I kidding? I AM crazy!' _She wailed.

She froze when she heard something that sounded like bird's wings flapping.

But birds don't belong in libraries.

... Do they?

Confused, Terrabi scanned around the area for the source of the voice before zooming in on the door at the end of the hallway with two signs that said "Restricted Private Library" and "Do Not Enter" on its flat surface. Something about it drew her closer, eager to see what was behind the door as she slowly approached it with caution yet, unsure of what she might find before coming to a stop in front of her destination. The girl's brown eyes locked onto the doorknob for a couple of minutes as many doubts and thoughts soared through her brain, debating on whether or not she should dare to cross the boundaries and open the door. What if it was nothing? What if she was caught? How much trouble would she be in if she continued this? What about Ayano telling her to stay out of trouble?

She couldn't break that trust. Not now. Not ever.

Just when Terrabi was about to turn back and leave, the sound of an object hitting the floor met her ears, stopping her in her tracks and spun around to stare at the obstacle. She was sure that the sound came from behind that door.

Was it not her imagination at all?

Or was it a coincidence?

Without a second thought, her hand found itself wound against the doorknob before turning it, allowing her entry into the unknown. She blinked once, then twice, mouth agape as she stared in complete awe at the many wondrous books stacked away on the shelves in this small, but inviting room. Forgetting her reason for why she came here and why she wanted to leave, Terrabi quickly strolled inside and began browsing with renewed energy, ecstatic to discover what she might find.

Not once did she notice a sliver of red pressed against the doorknob inside the room, slowly and quietly pushing it shut with a soft click of the lock before vanishing completely.

_'Wow! So many rare books! So THAT'S what was up here!' _The young girl thought excitedly as she skimmed over each title in each row.

A sly smile graced her face.

_'Hmm... maybe I can hang out in here for a bit.'_

As she wandered into one of the rows of bookshelves, she couldn't help, but hum a random tune in her head. _'It should be okay as long as I put everything back where it was. And it looks deserted enough. Guess not a lot of people come up here very often.'_

With that in mind, she continued the search with her full attention, roaming through each row thoroughly, sometimes taking a book or two out and reading it a bit before putting it back in its place and repeating the process.

Nearly twenty-three minutes had gone by yet still; Terrabi couldn't find one book that held her interest long enough. Grumbling, she slammed the book back in its empty space before moving back a bit to glare at it as if it was its fault that she couldn't find anything. Once more, she began walking along the shelves, trying to find something that would satisfy her need, but that didn't stop her from getting angry. _'Dammit, what's up with this? These are the rarest books you can ever find! And they're supposed to be good, aren't they?! Why can't I find a single-'_

Her train of thoughts came to a halt when she felt her foot hit something on the floor. Instinctively, she tore her gaze from the shelves to her feet, only for her sight to be greeted by a rather dusty and ancient looking book.

_'Huh? What's this? Oh, that's right. Now that I think of it, I did hear something fall earlier.' _Terrabi thought, nodding to herself.

The young girl then kneeled down and carefully picked up the fallen book. Then, just as the very fingers of her small hand touched the rough surface of the old book, a new feeling overcame her. A feeling she wasn't sure she quite grasped as her heartbeat thumped clear and hard against her ribcage as she marveled at the strange book in her hands. She didn't understand why, but the urge that she had for months vanished as if it were never there and instead, another took its place like a purr of a very content feline.

It made no sense.

But for now, it didn't matter. She had found a book that has chased away the feelings she couldn't overcome and she was happy, tucking it safely in her arms and simply enjoying the now empty space within her heart.

Terrabi stayed in that position for a couple of minutes before shifting to sit on her butt, moving a bit until she was comfortable against the bookshelf. Once again, her eyes lay upon the book in her hands, wondering how such a small thing like this could affect her to the point where her sanity was at stake. It even drove away her urges and made her feel that she was herself again.

But why?

And all this craziness for a book?

Despite her feelings of suspicion and uncertainty, her body moved on its own accord as her small hand smoothed over the title as if afraid to break it. _'The Universe of the Four Gods, Japanese translation by Einosuke Okuda? Huh? So it was originally something else? Hmm, from the looks of it, it's probably from China.' _With a self-assured nod, she resumed the task before her.

Gently grasping the edge of the cover, she slowly pulled it back until she can finally view its contents. Once opened, she couldn't help, but be dazzled at the picture of a red phoenix in all its grace and brilliance. _'Wow! Whoever made this book must be a really talented artist too!' _The fifteen-year-old thought with a silent giggle before she continued to read.

_'Herein contains the tale of The Legendary Forgotten Star and his or her quest alongside the priestess and the seven constellations of Suzaku. If you, the esteemed reader, should read this to the story's end, the spell contained within the pages of the book shall bestow upon you the powers of The Legendary Forgotten Star of Suzaku, and grant you a wish. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality.'  
_  
Her nose scrunched up. _'What the hell kinda book is this? How do readers' participate in a story when it might not match up?'  
_  
_"Finally. At last, you have come!"_

She would have shrieked, but no sound came from her voiceless throat as she dropped the book, staring with terrified eyes when the ink on the paper magically began to move and swirl together on its own, slowly painting a face.

When it stopped, Terrabi saw what appeared to be a rather feminine and beautiful man with long eyelashes, spiky hair, and magnificent clothes on the pages. She had never seen such a beauty before in her life, unsure of what to do other than to gaze at him in admiration. Then slapped herself with her good hand, only to groan in pain as her wrist throbbed, angrily reminding her of the injury she received from her earlier fight.

_'Okay, not the best move I've ever done! But still, what the hell am I doing? Ogling some stupid hot guy on a stupid piece of paper?! What am I, a rabid fan girl?!'  
_  
_"Suzuki."_

She blinked then looked around for a moment, searching for the voice before focusing it back on the man (or was it a woman?) in the book, not sure if she should trust her ears. Since there was no one other than herself inside the room, she decided the best choice was to give the "thing" a weird expression. But it didn't faze the thing at all.

_"Suzuki?"_

This time, Terrabi shook her head.

But again, the man simply asked, _"Are you Suzuki?"  
_  
A vein popped on her head, annoyed that it seemed to only know how to say those few words. _'How many times is it gonna take for this... this... whatever it is to figure out he's got the wrong person?!'  
_  
While she was in her thoughts, the elegant man studied the girl he had lured away before him very carefully. She had very odd hair for someone like her. Most of it was black that nearly reached to her backside and the front of her bangs was white. Aside from the hair color, she looked like any other teenage female. From his view, she was rather petite, had lightly tan skin, brown eyes, bandages wrapped tightly on her right wrist, and wore very particular clothing. But it wasn't her appearance that caught his attention; it was the soft hum of power, his power, sealed inside, coiling within her heart.

There was no mistake.

This was the child he was looking for!

Snapping out of his observation, he immediately noticed the glare Terrabi had been sending him for a while now, but he ignored it. There were more important matters at hand.

_"Come! You have a destiny to fulfill."_

_'Wha-!?'_

Before Terrabi knew what was happening, a bright red light suddenly burst forth from the book, blinding her as she tried to shield her poor eyes from it. She tried to scream, but it was useless with no voice, absolutely defenseless against the powerful red light. It grew bigger and bigger until it completely covered every inch in the room. And not long after the light came, it died down just as quickly, leaving everything in its place...

Minus one mute.


	2. All aboard!

_**Chichirifan (a.k.a. CF): Alright! Now we're getting somewhere! I can't believe I managed to make it to the 2nd chappy! I'm so happy! Maybe there's hope for this story yet! Anyway, I got some good news for you guys...unless you already heard of it, then call it old news. In case you guys ever get fed up with me, I highly recommend you check out this site called "Land of Randomness" or LoR for short. If you don't know how to get there, just go to my page to find out how to get there! It's really awesome, it's similar to fanfiction but it was made by my best friends, who are the most awesomest people in the world, PhantomFaustfan (who can be found on here) and Mac (who can be found on deviantart but she is known as LindaCarson on there)! It has stories, videos, pics and a mouthful of comedy! So please, I really hope you would check it out and like it! And if you can, please give them a review so they know what you guys think of it! Remember to check out other stuff on the site too! Thanks a bunch! I wuv you guys! *hugs* Okay, back to where we were, I do not own anything of FY except for Terrabi and Ayano (for those who read the old story, they should know who I'm talking about). So yeah, on with the story! And sorry for the very, very late update! ^_^'**_

Thoughts - _'blah, blah, blah'  
_Sign language - 'blah, blah, blah'  
Paper - (blah, blah, blah)

-Chapter 2: All Aboard!-

The next thing that Terrabi saw when she opened her eyes were many different shades of red as far as the naked eye can see. She quickly rubbed her eye sockets then blinked again, obviously not believing her own eyes. It was... hard to find the words to describe such a place. Too many colors and thoughts crowded inside her mind, quickly becoming too much for her as panic began to seep in.

_'Wha-what's going on here? Where am I?! How did I get here?!'_

_"Calm yourself, child of mine. No harm shall come to you."  
_  
Jumping, the mute nearly snapped her neck when she spun around to see the man from earlier. Her eyes widen at the sight of enormous, lovely red wings that she didn't notice on the man until now. But she must it admit, it looked quite lovely on him. Shocked at her own thoughts, she violently shook her head for a moment before glaring, wondering why he was here too. She marched right up to him and pointed an accusing finger in his direction, forcing the man to lean back a bit when she nearly jabbed him in the nose. _'What is going on? What did you do to the library? Why am I here?! No, a better question is, __**WHO**__ ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!' _She mouthed her angry demands, only to realize how stupid it was since she clearly can't speak.

But the handsome man didn't seem to be bothered by this.

Instead, he spoke, _"I am known as Suzaku, the God of Fire. I have brought you here because you are needed among my people."_

She blinked once. Then twice.

How in the name of Holy Ramen did he know what she was thinking?

Is he psychic?!

_"I am a God and you are a child born from me so yes, I can read your thoughts." _She nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke in that clear, beautifully majestic voice of his.

But Terrabi quickly recovered, disguising her fright with a disbelieving look on her young face. _'What do you take me for? An idiot? For one thing, do you have any proof you're really a God?' _She asked through her thoughts.

The man blinked. He should have expected this.

_"And what sort of proof do you want me to display to prove myself?" _Suzaku asked.

Terrabi tapped her chin in deep thought, eyes wondering as she tried to think up of something no ordinary man can do. But as she did so, she didn't realize that the winged man sighed then, with a simple wave of his hand, she started floating up... and up... and up... and up. Despite being a serious being, he couldn't help, but smile a teeny bit in mild amusement at her obliviousness, watching for any signs that she might notice what was going on. It surprised him when she didn't bat an eyelash when she was turned upside down.

At least until she started getting dizzy.

_'UWAAAAAAAH! Wh-wh-what's happening!?' _The girl shrieked, flailing her arms and legs about wildly as if it would help.

_"Calm yourself. You will not fall. I have simply turned off the gravity levels that which keep us firmly to the ground."_

She stared, eyes wide and completely floored as he sat in front of her like he was in a chair, wings still tucked in and arms crossed with a closed-eyed smile.

Mouth moving like a gasping fish, Terrabi tried to form words, once again forgetting she cannot speak until her brain caught up with her. _'Th-this doesn't prove anything! I can't tell where the floor or walls or even the ceiling is! So how would I know what's going on?!' _She tried to speak with such confidence without squeaking, though it was a lost cause.

He simply raised a brow._ "You should know where you are because you don't feel the floor beneath your feet, do you not? You would not be flailing about if you had been on the ground."_

_'Yes! No! I don't know! This place is weird! YOU'RE weird! Now give me real proof!'_

_"Did I not just offer you proof?" _He inquired calmly.

_'... Er, well... um... h-how would I know it's not all just a dream? You probably can read my thoughts because in a dream, you can do anything!' _Terrabi exclaimed triumphantly with a "ha ha, beat that!" expression.

Though it would've been more effective if it weren't for her current position and tussled appearance.

Suzaku, on the other hand, was rather stunned to see how this child absolutely refused to believe his words, despite the obvious truth before her. He could understand her resisting to believe for all mortals have a hard time dealing with something they thought was not real. Anyone in her place would probably try to reason with it. But they would eventually understand, especially when it involves a God. Was she really that ignorant or was she simply in denial?

He sighed.

It didn't matter. There wasn't much time left.

The God's features changed, taking on a much more serious look. _"Whether you believe this is real or all, but a dream, it does not matter. You are to go and find-"  
_  
_'Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa, whoa, WHOA! Wait a sec! Where do you get off on ordering me around?!' _Terrabi interrupted, hands on her hips defiantly.

He blinked, once again taken back by her rudeness and disrespect.

Was this really his "child"?

The fifteen-year-old continued to glare at him as if daring him to try to give her an order again, now right side up once again. The God thought for a moment, puzzled over this unexpected predicament. This child in front of him is most definitely his child, but she seemed to be missing an important aspect that is most vital.

Love.

But as he pondered the situation, a theory came to him. If he thought about it, it isn't unusual for the children who represent the Gods to have their power sealed, at least until they have been found. From what he remembers, they were supposed to come free the moment they become the Forgotten Stars, but it is essential that they also have at least one strong aspect before then.

Like, for example, intelligence, wisdom, kindness, etc. Something that strongly represents their God and gives them a right to be their child.

It would be a big problem if a child of the Gods couldn't undo the binds on them, especially with their quests and responsibilities ahead, if they don't possess that. This, unfortunately, is exactly where they are at.

So maybe, just maybe, her power would unlock once she begins to understand the meaning of love.

That's it! All she has to do is care for someone other than herself!

Maybe this won't take too long after all.

_'And what do you mean "born from you"? That doesn't even make any sense! You're a dude!'_She exclaimed.

A blank look came on Suzaku's face, staring hard at the child before him, who returned the stare back, impatiently waiting for an explanation.

... Then again, this might take a while.

Suppressing a sigh he so badly wanted to make, the red God's features hardened once again. He was definitely not in the mood to deal with this, especially with his own child of all beings. _"I do not have time for your arrogance. In fact, there is hardly any time for me to explain all the details of your upcoming quest with your stubborn disbelief!" _He snapped. Only to soften when he saw her flinch, though she clearly tried not to show it. Even though she annoyed him greatly with all her stalling, he couldn't find it in himself to stay angry with her.

It just wasn't him.

Before Terrabi knew it, she was met face-to-face with a solid chest in a tight embrace, his large magnificent wings practically shielding them from view. The mute didn't know what to do, her brain had shut down the moment the man's arms enveloped her. She could feel her body growing limp against his own warm body, unable to keep herself upright anymore. Her eyelids fluttered almost sleepily as if in a spell, unconsciously digging her face further in his warmth and unable to resist the familiar feeling of comfort and safety she felt in his powerful arms. It was as if she knew he would protect her from everything evil with all the gentleness and love he possessed. But inwardly, she was quite shocked at her actions.

Why wasn't she trying to beat this man senseless for this? What was wrong with her? She shouldn't even be near him, much less falling asleep on him!

But... then again, this is nothing, but a dream, right?

It wasn't a crime to dream something like this. Nothing wrong at all. No one had to know.

No one...

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Suzaku pulled away enough to look down, smiling as he watched the fifteen-year-old struggle not to fall asleep. At this rate, he couldn't explain anything at all for she needed to be heading out very soon. At the very least, he could tell her who she should seek out to find her answers. Leaning in close until his mouth was next to her ear, he whispered.

_"Find the Oracle. Find her and she will explain everything you need to know of your quest."_

_'H-huh? The... Or... a... cle...?'_

_"Yes. The Oracle. Once you have awakened, you must search for the Mountain of Daichi-san. That is where she resides."  
_  
Her eyes were closing as she fought to stay awake. She wanted to ask him who this "Oracle" person was and why she should find her. "This was only a dream, it's not real," is what she wanted to say. But despite her efforts, she couldn't fight off the sleepy feelings, vaguely realizing that the winged man had carefully gathered her up in his arms for her body was becoming too limp to hold properly. Just before she lost all consciousness, she felt something soft and warm brush against her forehead as she finally relented to the darkness.

The God pulled away, his expression unreadable as he could only stare on as the girl in his arms soon fell into a deep sleep.

And then, with a sad smile, he watched as her body slowly vanish into nothing.

_"May your journey be safe... Suzuki..."_

* * *

Black. All she could see was black. Why was everything black? And what was that cool feeling softly hitting her body? It felt wet, very wet. She remembered seeing red and then... nothing. Wait, what happened? What's going on? Oh, wait, now she remembers. She was in the library, yeah. Then things started getting a little weird. First, the light appeared in the library that scared the wits out of her. Then the mysterious voice from the book. Then the strange feelings and then-

The book. That's right!

That really-should-be-illegally beautiful man appeared in the book before the red light showed up. Then he did something and somehow or another, she ended up... somewhere that guy was... wherever that is.

And then he... wait a minute, where is she?

Her eyes fluttered open, trying to blink away the blurs obscuring her vision as she pushed herself up into a somewhat sitting/leaning position with a groan, using her injured limb to block the wet beating down on her face, but the droplets of water kept on falling on her entire being, despite the rather pathetic "shield". She froze. _'Wait, water?!'_

The moment she tore her arm down, she was... well, speechless. (no pun intended)

Ignoring the cold, harsh pounding of the rain, the mute looked around to see... well, to be honest; she really couldn't see anything other than trees, trees, and even more trees. Wherever she turned, that's all there was. Just plain and simple trees.

No library. No people. No vending machines. No cars.

Nothing.

Anxious fear slowly began to settle in her chest as she clumsily stumbled to her feet, taking in her surroundings as well.

_'Okay... I have absolutely no clue where I am, but I do know one thing. I am DEFINITELY hallucinating.'_

Her eyes darted everywhere, trying to find something, _anything _to either physically or mentally ease her distress. Proof that she was really in the library and not out in some unknown forest, in the rain and completely alone.

Unfortunately, there was none.

For several long minutes, Terrabi just stood there with her arms crossed in an attempt to keep warm before taking tiny steps forward, not wanting to stay in one place in case some kind of wild animal came by. She liked living and didn't plan on being on the menu anytime soon. The mute walked onward, hoping that she would eventually come across a road, people, or, even better, a city. If she could find any of the three, it would be great, but...

She can't speak.

Oh, for the first time in her life of silence, she wished she had a voice to use.

It would have been _so_much easier on her than communicating through hands, paper, and computers, especially on her money. Hardly anyone understood sign language, excluding her friend. It's kind of hard to use them when you're stuck in the middle of a forest, anyway. Her nose wrinkled for a moment or two before giving out a sneeze.

Well, looks like before she could find help, she better find some kind of shelter before she caught a cold.

The poor girl wandered about the forest for what seemed like ages, almost losing her composure until her ears caught the faint sound of horses. Curious, she followed the direction the noise came from a few yards before finally stumbling out of the forest. Before her, the first thing that greeted her sight was a small horse stable. Luckily, the skies decided to stop the downpour, but unfortunately, the rain made the stable reek of musk and... feces.

_'Ugh! Geez! I always thought horses smelt of grass! There goes that!' _Terrabi held her nose as she carefully moved forward, not wanting to disturb the animals.

The last thing she wanted was a hoof print to her derriere.

So far, there were only two brown horses she could see, one eating a handful of hay and the other standing in front of the fence of the stall they were in. The animal nearest to her tossed its head and snorted before noticing the human girl creeping closer to it. The horse then started to snort and neigh restlessly before standing up on its back legs for a few moments and land back on all hoofs, striking nervousness in the girl who took a step back.

_'Whoa, whoa, Nelly! Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!' _Terrabi tried to calm the animal, but to no vial.

"What's going on out here?!"

Jumping, Terrabi turned her head to see a fairly old man run out of a stone-looking building with what looked like some kind of hand-held farm tool in his hand. A sickle. A sense of dread overcame her, unconsciously taking a step back when the man turned his sights on her. At first, he looked rather stunned, shocked even at her sudden visit, but his expression changed to one of hostility.

Curling his free hand in a fist, he raised it threateningly and took a step forward as if he was preparing for a fight.

_'Oh crud! A weapon! I never faced someone with a real weapon before! And why a sickle? Of all things, I expect either a knife or a gun, but a sickle?! Where the hell did he get that, anyway?! This guy's weird!' _Terrabi's eyes shifted back on the tool again and gulped.

_'And dangerous!'  
_  
"What are you doing here? Trying to steal one of my horses, huh?!" He angrily demanded.

_'Nonononononono! I'm not! I'm not trying to steal your horses! Honest!' _She mouthed her unspoken words, desperately hoping he would understand as she waved her arms frantically in the air.

Which only served to alarm and confuse the man even more.

It was then that he took notice of her attire. Though it was soaked, it was very odd and foreign, nothing like the clothes he and the rest of the townsfolk wear. Heck, he had never seen such clothing like that made here before either! She wore slightly snug pants and a sleeveless shirt, both completely black except for some strange red characters he couldn't decipher across her breast. And her hair was the strangest thing among all the strange things about her. Though he could see the bangs framing her face were white, the rest was a dark brown, black even!

What kind of foreigner did he run into?

The man blinked when she suddenly pulled her arms back to her chest with a pained expression. It was then that his eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around one of her arms, which appeared to have loosened quite a bit from the rain and her flailing. She was injured? Well, if she's a foreigner, it was no surprise as most people tend to get injured in their long travels. Perhaps before her arrival, she might have met with some trouble.

With a heavy sigh, he lowered his weapon. He was not the kind of man to fight an injured girl.

"Do you need help?"

Snapping her eyes open, Terrabi looked up in time to see the man turn to walk back to the house he had emerged from and disappeared inside. For a few seconds, she stood there, almost frozen, her brain not quite catching up to the sudden turn of events.

The man's head poked out from the door. "Hey! Are you coming or not?"

Jumping, the surprised child quickly hurried after him, eagered to leave the cold. And eagered to have some sense of reality.


	3. Mission, start!

_**Author's Note: Sorry for making ya'll wait for so long. Things have been... eventful, you could say. As much as I love stories, I couldn't write as well as I use to, either because I lose focus (which I've been doing a lot lately) or because of my busy adult life. But not all is bad, things are actually pretty lively now. And busy, very busy. With work and plans to move out and looking for another job and stuff, I haven't had the time to actually try to write. Until now. It's been a year or two since I updated, but never fear, I've never forgotten! *(Terrabi: Is that suppose to be a pun? CF: Shush! And yer suppose to be mute!)* So here I am after nearly two years absence, proudly going to unveil the newest chapter. So please enjoy and kill me later for the loooooooong wait.**_**  
**  
Thoughts - _'blah, blah, blah'  
_Sign language - 'blah, blah, blah'  
Paper - /blah, blah, blah/

-Chapter 3: Mission, Start!-

_"This is difficult."_

The God of Fire sighed, almost sadly, as he watched his child enter the domain of the mortal man through a small ball of fire in his hand. Floating in the air of his realm, positioned as if he were sitting in a chair as he twiddled and tossed the small flame around his fingers.

It had been hours since he sent Terrabi to her destination. Though, unfortunately, without much time to give the child any details or even an explanation. And judging from the very short time they had together, she was very skeptical about the whole thing and had little to no respect for him. Not to mention she had a fiery temper to boot. It was like she was a walking time-bomb with a very short fuse. Not quite how he pictured his child to be. If anything, she would've been dubbed as Seiryu's child than his. She had the temper and the fury to prove it. Maybe he shouldn't have sent her on her way like this; so unprepared and utterly confused. Especially with the way she is. She would not be able to perform her duties this way, much less even begin to comprehend the fact that this world desperately depended on her! What if she, with very little knowledge of this world, ran into a bunch of sleazy thugs and got hurt? Or what if she accidently ended up straying into enemy territories and got killed? Or worse...!

_'Too late for regrets now.' _The God thought a bit sullenly with a heavy sigh.

He watched the man offer his child a towel to dry herself off before walking off somewhere, muttering something about tea. Suzaku watched the scene a bit more, rolling the flame in his palm almost in thought. Then suddenly he clenched his hand into a fist, instantly putting it out. For now, all he could do is watch and wait for her in his realm.

And hope that she would be able to discover herself in time.

* * *

_'Can't believe this. This is just too weird.' _Terrabi thought bitterly to herself, drying off her hair with the towel the man brought to her. It just didn't seem real. Nothing like this ever happens in real life. It just isn't possible! But, waking up in the forest, that dream, how can she explain that? Her hands slowed to a stop from their task of drying, making the towel drape over most of her head as she stared hard into the floor.

But everything here, all that she has seen, it was just too vivid to be a dream. Maybe it really-

_'No! Don't even go there! This isn't real!' _She shook her head firmly.

A soft cough to her left caught her attention, turning to see the man had returned with a couple of cups on a tray in his worn hands. She blinked, unsure of what to think before he spoke up. "Here, drink this. It should help warm you up after getting soaked out there." He said, using one hand to balance the tray as his other hand grabbed one of the glass cups and held it out to her. Saying nothing, the girl just stared at the offered glass for a few moments, unsure whether to trust this man. But after a minute of hesitance, one of her hands let go of the towel that was still draped over her head to slowly reached out to take the drink. She nodded a little, hoping he understood that as a "thank you" as she brought it to her lips and took a slow sip.

Though the taste was rather different from the stuff she's use to at home, it was actually quite good.

The man chuckled as he watched her nearly down the whole thing in one gulp before settling down on one of the beat-up looking wooden chairs by the table, taking a sip from his own drink as well. "Feel free to have another, I've made plenty." He replied, waving a hand to the steaming pot he had set on the table. Nodding, Terrabi moved to take a seat in another chair, towel forgotten on her head and reached over to pour herself another. Just as her hand grasped the handle, the man spoke up again.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself, did I? My name is Tao Wang. I apologize for scaring you earlier, but I was on edge. Lately, there had been some thieving going around so I assumed you were here to steal my horses. But I see now you are no thief. Where are you headed? It's awful dangerous for a young girl to be wandering out at night by herself." The man known as "Tao" warned before taking another sip.

When he received no reply, he looked over the brim of his glass, curious about how quiet the girl kept herself. Was she afraid? Probably, since they knew nothing of each other. He watched as she switched from reaching for the pot to the towel on her head, pulling it off and letting it fall uncermoniously on the floor beside her feet. With the towel on her head, it made her face a little hard to read, much less see her eyes. But now that he could see, he noticed how troubled her expression became as her hand came up to lightly touch her throat as if she wasn't sure she should tell him. After a couple minutes of silence, Tao placed his cup on the table with a sigh and folded his arms, catching Terrabi's attention as she glanced up.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. Anyway, if you have no place to go, you're free to stay here for the night. We'll talk some more in the morning." Tao said in a firm voice, leaving no room for protests.

_'Hmph, who died and made him king?' _Terrabi grumped mentally, watching with narrowed eyes as Tao moved to stand and left the room, saying something about finding some blankets for her to use.

But none the less, she didn't move from her spot at the table, not exactly fond of leaving when the rain continued to rage outside the dwelling. She heaved out a heavy sigh before moving to refill her cup again, only to wince and pull back to stare down at her arm in surprise. Only when her eyes landed on the soggy bandages did she recall her earlier encounter with some drunks had left her with a fractured wrist. _'Oh, that's right. Forgot all about that. Well, this is gonna make things harder.'_ She tried to blow her bangs out of her face but with still being wet, the blond strands remained glued to her forehead. Without another thought, she instead switched hands and made to grab for the pot again, only to jump, startled when something heavy slide off her shoulder and fell onto the floor with a thud. Glancing down, Terrabi blinked upon seeing her bag on the floor. _'Dang, I must have been so freaked out that I forgot I had my bag!' _She thought as she bent over to gather it up onto her lap.

_'Good thing I still had it! Hopefully, the bandages I packed didn't get soaked.' _Terrabi untied the knot at the top and easily pulled the bag open, digging in for the item she sought for.

But then, just as she found the wad of bandages and grabbed it, her eyes caught something.

Just behind the bandages on top of a notepad was a small... "scroll" of some kind. It was a deep rich red and looked to be rather old and ancient, judging by its torn and ragged condition. But that wasn't what caught her attention, no.

It was the soft glow of red light emitting from it.

The sound of furniture being suddenly toppled over startled Tao into dropping one of the makeshift blankets he grabbed from the straw-woven basket. Fearing that the thieves he heard about had broken in, he quickly dropped the rest of his load and snatched up the sickle he put away next to his bed before running in the direction of the commotion. He shoved the curtain aside from the doorway and turned to yell at the intruders.

The words died before they could even leave his lips.

Before his very eyes, he could see the chairs and table scattered everywhere, twisted and broken into pieces. The pot he left on the table was also shattered, its contents and shards all over the floor in a wet mess. And the girl he had taken into his home was sprawled on the floor, looking every bit as terrified as he did while trying to crawl backwards to safety, not realizing that the table she had knocked over was blocking her way. Though all this would have the man fearing the worst, it was not what shocked and frightened him so severely.

It was the light coming from the scroll.

It flooded the entire room in redish light from its position on the ground, completely engulfed in red and beating softly, almost like a real heartbeat from what Tao could tell from his view. But that can't be right. Scrolls don't shine lights, they hold knowledge and wisedom for those seeking answers or simply to pass messages to and from person to person. This was nothing Tao ever encountered before in his life. Was it because of the girl he took in? He didn't own such a scroll so it probably belonged to her. So was she doing this? One look at the girl told him otherwise, judging by the fearful expression on her young face. But if it wasn't her doing, what was causing this?

Before he come make a mad dash out of the room and into the safety of outside, away from the terrible sight, he gasped when a thought suddenly came to him.

_'Th... This light... co... could it be... Suzaku...?'_

Terrabi remained rooted in her spot against the table, too petrified to move and make things worse. If she had known the moment she touched it would bring such madness, she would have tossed the whole bag, along with the scroll, into the fire where that old man had boiled the tea. Everything would have been just fine if she haven't gone and screwed it up! Oh, why did she let her curiosity get the best of her?

_'I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! Oh crud, I'm gonna DIE!' _Terrabi snapped her eyes shut and pulled her hands up in a attempt to shield herself, hoping it would end quickly.

But nothing happened.

When seconds turned to minutes, Terrabi slowly peeked her eyes open to look past her arms, curious yet afraid of what she might see. Her eyes widen, shocked to see that the light had vanished as suddenly as it appeared and the scroll lay innocently on the floor. It was as if nothing happened. _'No!'_, she shook her head before glancing to the damaged table behind her, _'If that was a dream, I'm pretty sure the place wouldn't be sorry looking right now. Unless that Tao guy is the worst home decorator ever.' _The girl let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding and gingerly begin to rise, realizing quite frankly that her body was shaking terribly. Probably from the fear she felt when the scroll started going all voodoo on her.

Once she rose to her full height, Terrabi just stood there, her blonde bangs shadowing her eyes as well as her own feelings from view. Too into her thoughts to hear that sound of something metal clacking on the ground. Trembling, Tao could only stare at her, too stunned to move away and too afraid to come closer, much less pick up the sickle he had grabbed earlier. But he could tell from the shaking of her form that she was troubled. And scared.

_'God, this just feels too real to not be real! I mean, the whole thing with that bird guy and now... the scroll...'_

"Miss...!" Tao cried out when she buckled and fell to her knees.

Snapping out of his fear, he quickly navigated over the mess, being careful not to cut himself on the broken pieces of the teapot and kneeled down at her side, concerned that she might have been hurt. When she felt hands clamp down on her shoulders, her head snapped up and turned to her side to see the middle-aged man next to her in surprise.

Her surprise turned into stupor when Tao suddenly reeled back, his concerned face morphing into shock. Even though Terrabi could not understand why, Tao had every reason to be shocked.

There on her left cheek, clear as day, shone a character mark in bright, flashing red.

The man couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was the mark of Suzaku, his country's all powerful god. But it wasn't any of the celestial stars depicted in the legend. So why would this foreigner have a mark of Suzaku? And "sacrifice"... what did it mean...?

Shaking his head to rid of the overwhelming questions that instantly came with this startling discovery, Tao smiled, though weakly, and chuckled while gently dusting off her shoulder to get rid of the dust from the earlier commotion. "I... I don't know what is going on nor how you came in possession of that scroll but I do know this," He started, gaining Terrabi's attention.

"Whatever is going here, I think it means you are here for a reason. I don't know what for, but even so, with this mark, I'm sure it will be something great." He explained in a soft, gentle tone, his eyes softening.

Blinking slowly, Terrabi could only stare at him, completely bewildered by these turn of events. What did he mean about a mark? And why was this man suddenly so concerned about her? She was a stranger to him. She thought the moment the scroll stopped its freaky light show that he would think she tried to curse him and throw her back out. But instead, he was actually trying to comfort her, despite how fearful the event was to both of them.

Terrabi glanced at the man once more, seeing how sincere his feelings were before turning away, ashamed. _'Well, he seemed to be the type to be mean.'_

"Come on," Tao said, gently helping the girl back on her feet, "let's get you cleaned up and we'll discuss this later."

After a moment of hesitation, Terrabi finally nodded her head and watched as Tao left her side and went out of the room, muttering something about clothes. She stood in the middle of the wreckage, unsure of what to do before her brown eyes went back to the scroll, watching it so intently for it to start raising havoc again. But the scroll remained motionless. Not even a flicker.

This caused the corners of her lips to dip.

_'Whatever this... "thing" is, it sure as heck not safe to touch.'_ She began glancing around herself, looking for something, anything to help her. _'But I can't leave it here either. I don't understand what's going on, but I can't leave such a dangerous thing here in this place. It could get someone hurt! Real or not, I can't do that to him after he's been nothing but kind to me!'_

Her eyes widen upon spotting her discarded bag a couple feet away before reaching over to grab it, using its flexible mouth ends of the bag to carefully pick up the scroll from the ground and pushed it inside then quickly pulled on its strings, sealing it closed before tying it off. _'There! That should do it!'_ Terrabi mentally cheered and wiped her brow, realizing again how nervous she was to touch it. _'Hm, guess I actually have to touch it for it to go all weird again. I wonder if that works for everyone.' _She pondered, curious.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat when Tao's voice sounded from beyond the doorway.

"Miss! I have a bowl of water and rag where you can clean up! The bed's ready too!"

Terrabi quickly placed her right hand over her chest, breathing in and out for a few seconds to calm herself before getting up. Throwing the bag over and across her shoulder, she gave one last look at the damage she had done to the furniture, roaming over each and every piece of broken legs and overturned chairs before resting on the spot where the scroll had been.

When Tao called again, she turned and walked away, intending to get some rest and forget this whole ordeal had ever happened.

* * *

It has been three days since her arrival into this strange, ancient world. Three days in the home of Tao Wang, the kind middle-aged man, who had opened his home to her with such generosity in her time of need. It had taken some getting use to, especially when she realized one big difference between herself and the villagers. Clothing. If she had went out as she was, the villagers would probably react similar to how Tao did when they first met. Maybe worse. But thankfully, Tao had some clothes for her to wear, explaining he had a daughter many years ago before she had gotten married to a scholar and had kept them as a reminder. It was a thin pink ankle-length tunic with an open red collar running straight down to her waist and red cuffs lining the edges of her wide sleeves that hung a little below her shoulders. Underneathe the garment was another, but thicker tunic, only plain white, slightly longer than the outter garment, and with longer, narrow sleeves that went just slightly over her wrists. The collar was pulled tightly over her breasts to show no cleavage as well, something she was grateful about. And all of it held together with a thick white sash at her waist then a thin red sash tied over it in a simple bow in the front with the ends dangling at her feet. It even came with matching pink cotton shoes, much to her discomfort.

Though she did have a bit of trouble putting on the clothes, the man was patient and helped guide her on how to fold the dress appropriately, tie the sash, and all that came with it. He did offer to help teach her how to properly style her hair, but, being a man and having little practice, did little to no good. So, not wanting to look out of place in this bizarre world, Terrabi just bundled up some of the top layer of hair in a high bun, which was covered with a white cloth sprinkled with pink specks all over while the rest of her dark hair flowed freely and her blonde bangs framing her face. In that time, Tao had finally discovered her inablity to speak and became even more protective, wanting her to stay by him at all times. Which meant she had to go with him wherever he went.

Like she's doing now, trailing behind him as they strolled through the market with a straw basket in her hands.

_'Man, why do I have to go with him everytime he leaves the house? It's not like he really needs my help.' _Terrabi thought grumpily, slowing to a stop and watched as Tao stopped at the produce stall and began talking pleasantly to the merchant there.

"Oh! Ping, is that you? It's been over three months since I've last saw you! What have you being doing, my friend?"

"Oh, nothing much. Selling here and there, traveling, you know how a merchant life works, Tao. You've been there."

Tao chuckled as he looked between two pomelos in each of his hands. "Yes, but those days are over for me. I can't travel like I use to in my youth." He said, deeming the left one was the best before putting the other away.

The merchant named "Ping", who appeared to be maybe a few years younger and had more of a stocky build than Tao, just laughed wholeheartedly.

"Ah Tao, you're not that old yet! You still have plenty of years on you! You should come back and join up with me! It would be like old times!" Ping insisted.

But Tao only smiled and gently shook his head. "No, but thanks for the concern. I'm quite happy just taking care of my horses."

_'I'm going to gag myself if I keep listening to this mush fest.' _Terrabi thought offhandedly, only to shiver at the mental image of Tao and Ping in a romantic sense than what was actually happening.

She shook her head, trying to banish the pictures from her mind, and looked around, not at all interested in the cheery chit-chat between the two men. It was the first time Tao allowed her to tag along to the market. Since he was now providing for two, Tao needed to buy more food, which unfortunately, caused the elder to grow anxious. The market was always lively and crowded with people out shopping and having a good time, making it sometimes a bit hard to get around. He didn't mind that, though. It was simply bad timing that he decided to go when he knew mid-morning was probably the busiest. But that wasn't what bothered him. She tried to ask (through writing, of course) why, but he refused to say, stating instead that she must always stay close when they go.

Frowning deeply, Terrabi glanced over her shoulder to see Tao was still preoccupied with the merchant before slyly side-stepping away, eyes watching in case her caretaker noticed her escape. But when Tao made no indication that he was aware, Terrabi quickly turned and disappeared into the crowd, easily manuvering to avoid running into the villagers in her haste.

The moment she slipped from Tao's presense felt as if a leash had come off, the feeling filling her with such relief and elation as a silly grin appeared on her lips.

_'Freedom, freedom at last!' _Terrabi crowed in her head, easing her hurried pace into a walk now that she managed to put some distance between them.

It was actually quite refreshing to be out of Tao's sight, having not been alone for no more than half an hour with him constantly hovering around her as if she can't protect herself. _'Che! As if I'm helpless! I know karate!' _Terrabi huffed in thought, absently flexing and moving her arms in a few punches and chops in the air as she walked, oblivious to the weird stares she got as she passed. With a sigh, she dropped her arms to instead clasp them behind her back, idly looking through many stalls and restaurants with mild interest. It really is a nice little village, its people all cheery and lively and laughing. It reminded her a lot of her home back in her own world.

How she missed it so much. Her school, with its strict teachers ranting on and on about exams and tests. Normally, she would've wanted nothing more than to shoot them the finger and get away from the stress of it all. Never thought she would ever see the day she would actually miss it. And, of course, the goofy friends she made there. All of them so kind and silly, dragging her along in their little misadventures. Having fun and enjoying life, despite the pressures of every day living in such a hard and fast world. And her parents... her beautiful, loving parents...

The grin slowly disappeared as she came to a stop near the corner of the four-way streets, staring at her feet for a minute before slowly leaning back, her back gently landing on the stone wall.

_'... I... I wonder if they are searching for me. They must be, it's been three whole days since that bird dude brought me here. They must be worried sick! Hell, they're probably frantic! I gotta get back home! I have to!'_

Her fists shook with barely suppressed anger, frustrated with the fact she was stuck here all because of that fire-bird guy who "supposedly" needed her help. But a moment later, her shoulders slumped, sadness quickly replacing the anger as she lifted her head up, gazing into the blue sky above.

_'But... how...?'_

"Hey little lady! What are you doing way out here by yourself?"

The snarky tone was enough to snap Terrabi out of her depressing mood, turning sharply to see two young men standing next to her. She hadn't even noticed their presence until they spoke up. And, now that Terrabi took a quick look around, the street she was on was empty. She didn't even notice she ended up walking into the darker areas of the market.

Just great. Perfect!

Add more drama to her already burdened shoulders!

Gritting her teeth, Terrabi pointly ignored them and turned her head away, removing her arms from behind and crossing them across her breasts. If these men meant to do her harm, she wanted her arms out in front so she would be ready at a moment's notice.

"Hey, Ju-Long is talking to you!" The second man snapped.

"Knock it off, Huan. Besides, I like them hard-to-get." Ju-Long sneered.

Ju-Long then leaned to the side, blocking her only way out by placing his arm on the wall next to her. Glaring, Terrabi pushed away from the wall to face them. She made to move forward, but with them huddle around her, she couldn't go anywhere. This is bad...

"C'mon, missy. How about we go somewhere and have some fun?" Ju-Long murmured silkly, dark eyes hungrily eying her from head to toe.

His free hand grabbed her shoulder, but, before he could react, his forearm burst with pain when the child suddenly snapped her hand up and sliced down, hitting the limb as hard as she could. A pained yelp escaped him as he stepped back, holding his bruised arm to himself. Huan growled and moved to attack her. "You little-"

Before Huan could catch her, Terrabi ducked low under his outstretched arms and kicked her leg out, kicking him straight in the chest and watched him fall to the ground, momentarily stunned.

_'Hmph! That should buy me some time! Now to get out of here, away from these perverts!' _Terrabi quickly ran the moment she saw an opening, purposely shoving Ju-Long to the wall on the way.

Unfortunately, her attacks only served to anger them as they quickly picked themselves up and gave chase.

"Come back here, you bitch!"

"You're going to regret that!"

She ran and ran, turning corners and zigzaging and jumping over boxes in effort to lose them, hearing the insults and threats being thrown behind her. And to make things worse, she had no idea where she was. _'Oh god, where did I go last?! Why didn't I pay attention to where I was going?! If I don't find my way back, they...!' _Desperation began to seep into her heart with terrible images of what would happen filled her mind as she risked a glance over her shoulder, hoping she was close to losing them.

It was a move she knew she would regret.

Just as Terrabi was about to make another sharp turn around the corner, her left foot slipped on some rubble lying around and, to her horror, fell to the ground in a heap. Pain throbbed in the side of her foot, telling her she had ended up twisting her ankle in her careless blunder. The girl tried to get up as fast as she could, but it was too late. The men had already reached her, roughly grabbing at her wrists and clothes, pining her to the ground as she struggled against them.

"Got you! You can't escape this time!"

"We'll teach you a lesson to run from us!"

_'NO! Let go! Let go of me! No! No!' _Though she tried to scream, the words never left her lips and ended up mouthing them instead in her terror, fighting with all her might to break free.

"Dammit! Stop struggling, wretch!" Huan growled, slapping her.

But Terrabi didn't stop, screaming silent screams and fought desperately against their hold. No longer were her moves caculated and precise, flailing around like that of a wild animal. Clawing, biting, kicking, anything to get them away. Oh why, why did she leave Tao's side? For what, to be alone in peace? Now look where it got her!

_'Please... someone! Anyone...!' _Terrabi snapped her eyes shut, her breath hitched in her throat just as she felt hands grabbed at the front of her clothes, ready to tear them open.

_HELP ME!_

... But nothing happened.

Upon realizing that there was no further movement from the men assaulting her, Terrabi slowly peeked an eye open to see what was going on. Only to snap them wide open, shocked to see the men above her struggling yet, not moving as if something was restricting them.

"Wh... why c-can't I... move...?" Huan's voice strained to speak.

"I... I'm n-not su-sure! I-it's almost as if s-some... thing's holding m-me down!" Ju-Long gasped as he struggled to move.

The girl eyed them warily, unsure of whether or not to believe her luck before tentatively reaching out her hand to see if they really couldn't move, but decided against it. Instead, she choosed to seize the opportunity to get away as she started to push herself up. The sound of metal jingling and footsteps coming from nearby hit her ears as she spun around in alarm, praying it wasn't another hooligan seeking for some "fun".

Before her stood a strange man, one she did not recognize nor have seen in the village before. He was dressed in a white shirt with a belt wrapped around his waist and wore jungle trail green pants that reached below his knees. Wrapped around the rest of his legs was a long white cloth with black strings cris-crossing down it, complete with flat shoes. But what caught her attention the most were the strange items the man carried. A weird staff, a long purple cape thingy with swirls on it drapped over his shoulder and around his waist to hook in the front, a prayer beaded necklace around his neck, and a wide straw hat that hid most of his face on his head.

Just who is this guy?

The stranger stopped only a couple feet away from the group and looked down at the troubled girl. "Do you need any help, miss, no da?"

She blinked.

What is up with his speech pattern? And why was his voice so high-pitched?

Before Terrabi could respond, the man turned to the frozen men and frowned at them. "That's not very nice, no da. You shouldn't be treating girls so roughly. It's probably best to leave her alone, don't you think, no da?" He tsked at them then returned his attention on her before they could even react.

"If you're worried about these guys, don't worry, no da. I got them. Maybe they'll learn to behave, no da!" The strange man said with a smile.

"W-why you...!"

"Let us go!"

"In a moment, no da." He waved them off. Terrabi blinked when the man held out a hand to her, eying it for a moment then looked up, a question in her eyes. The man just smiled. "Come on, I'm sure your family is wondering where you are, no da. So let's go, okay?"

Brown eyes wandered back to the offered hand, hesitant to put her trust in this strange person then glanced behind him to the where the frozen men were. _'Though I think I rather take my chances against this dude than those perverts!' _Terrabi thought bitterly with a frown before taking his hand. The stranger helped pull her to stand and, before he could lead her away, she immediately released his hand and turned on the frozen men. "Miss, what are you-"

*_**BAM**_*_**  
**_  
The stranger just stood there, utterly dumbfounded as Terrabi panted heavily from where she stood, anger burning in her eyes from when she threw a large stone she snatched up and threw into Ju-Long's face with all the force she could muster. Never realizing the mark from three days ago had appeared, glowing softly on her cheek. Huan trembled from his frozen position as he watched the stone slide off his friend's face and crumble to the ground, unconscious.

"Yo-you're crazy! Why did you do that?! He couldn't mo-"

Unfortunately, that was all Terrabi allowed him to say before she released her rage upon him.

The stranger could only watch as the girl started wailing on the poor young man, hitting and striking him with moves he did not recognize in any of the martial arts he knew of.

_'Daaa. If she's able to fight like this, I wonder how she managed to get herself into trouble, no da.'_The man sweatdropped.

Finally, Terrabi huffed and patted the dust off her hands, turning on her heel away from the trembling mess and walked away.

_'Hmph! Shows them what happens when they mess with me! I didn't earn the champion title in karate for nothing, you know!' _Terrabi smirked to herself.

Then stopped, staring stupidly at the stranger, who looked to be just as baffled as herself, for a few seconds until she realized she had completely forgotten all about him during her rampage. She looked to her feet, suddenly feeling embarrassed. _'Well, this is awkward.'_

She could hear the man stepping closer and jumped slightly when his hand came down to rest on her shoulder. "We better get going, no da. I'm sure you would like to be anywhere, but here, ne, no da?" She heard him speak and looked up, curious to see the face of the man who came to her rescue now that he was close enough for her to see under that hat. Her jaw dropped.

_'Why does his face look like a cat?! What the heck?!'_

Before Terrabi could react to those thoughts, their surroundings had suddenly changed, turning from stone buildings and dusty roads into a lush green landscape spotted with village houses here and there and a stream flowly freely nearby. The odd-haired girl couldn't believe it. They were in the village Tao lived in instead of the market, which she could see about a little aways from the village. But... how?

"Here we are, no da! Try not to wander off by yourself next time, okay, no... daa... um, miss...?"

The stranger looked to his side to see Terrabi was currently beating her head against the nearest tree, sweatdropping.

_'Must...'_, *_**SMACK**_*,_ 'wake...'_, *_**BAM**_*,_ 'up...!'_, *_**WHACK**_*,_ 'It's...'_, *_**BAM**_*,_ 'not...'_, *_**THWACK**_*,_ 'real!' _Is what was running through her mind as she slammed her head between each pause as hard as she could, hoping it would help get rid of this illusion.

But soon the pain of repeatedly hitting her head against the tree was too much when she slammed it one more time. The man grew more than a little concerned when she didn't remove herself from the tree. "Um, miss? Are you sure you're alright, no da?" He asked, cautiously approaching her to place a hand on her shoulder. Only to gasp in surprise when his touch seemed to only make her collaspe to the ground, eyes spinning dizzily as the world spun around her. _'I-I think... I overdid it a bit...'_

"Miss! Are you okay, no da?! Can you hear me?! Miss!"

She could hear the man calling her from a distance, as if he was suddenly so far away. Her fading vision barely catching a glimpse of white and purple kneeling next to her before the darkness eagerly claimed her, sending her into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
